Partick Thistle 0 Falkirk 1: Grant fires Falkirk through

LINDSAY HERRON

FALKIRK are dreaming of another cup adventure after claiming the Premiership scalp of Partick – and they were worthy winners.

But that’s six games without a win for Thistle whose lack of power up front was plain to see.

Fresh from reaching the Scottish Cup final last season, Falkirk realised half an hour in that they had the capability of causing an upset. And they got their noses in front through the man who scored for them in that 2-1 Hampden defeat by Inverness Caley Thistle, Peter Grant.

The young centre back had stayed in the box after Partick had failed to properly clear a David Smith corner in 32 minutes. He was not picked up as Tom Taiwo drove the ball into the middle and Grant stabbed it past Tomas Cerny with the outside of his left boot.

It took Thistle until a minute before half time to create an opportunity and this time Grant showed his defensive qualities.

Stevie Lawless played a good ball in from the left which found Kris Doolan eight yards out but Grant blocked his shot.

The giant figure of Mathias Pogba was sent on as a half-time substitute for the ineffective David Amoo and should have brought Thistle level nine minutes in. He was superbly picked out by Gary Miller’s pass but seemed to want to walk the ball into the net and in the end allowed Danny Rogers to make a good blocking save.

Partick huffed and puffed but Falkirk defended stoutly and always looked a threat on the counter-attack. Taiwo might have snatched a second a minute from time but blasted over the bar from close range.